


Mal's Blessing

by MidgardianHero



Category: Firefly
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-30
Updated: 2013-11-30
Packaged: 2018-01-03 02:10:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1064466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidgardianHero/pseuds/MidgardianHero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I own nothing; all rights go to the respective owners and creators. Joss is boss.</p></blockquote>





	Mal's Blessing

The day had been a full one, that was for damn sure.

But Mal had to admit, as he sat himself down on the back porch with a cup of warm cider, it was nice to touch down on a peaceful rock with wholesome, hardworkin’ folk. To have a few days off to ice his knuckles and maybe even get a full eight hours of sleep, if Lady Luck was feelin’ a might generous.

Kaylee’s hometown had a rustic feel to it. Reminded him of country life on Earth-That-Was, or at least what it mighta been a good 700 years before evacuation. People lived simply, but comfortably — reasonably free to go about their business without Alliance officials peerin’ over their shoulders.

He found himself a might surprised, actually, to experience firsthand the life his cheery mechanic had chosen to walk away from. Guilt occasionally seeped in when he thought back on the dangers she’d lived through as a member of his crew. She must’ve known she wasn’t signin’ up for no joyride when she took the job, but even so…

"Is somethin’ on your mind, Captain?"

Mal glanced up from his drink and smiled when he saw Kaylee loomin’ over him, lookin’ all girly-like in her new sundress. The frock was secondhand, but nice enough. Bright yellow to match her personality and the pretty ribbons in her hair.

"Nothin’ worth sayin’ out loud," he replied dismissively. His smile softened as she sat herself alongside him.

"How’s Jayne holdin’ up?"

"Well as can be expected, I guess," Kaylee said with a chuckle. "He ain’t as confident as he was a couple hours ago, but I doubt he’ll be givin’ up anytime soon."

Mal turned to look back at the house. He could see the merc hunkered over the kitchen table, pourin’ another shot of whiskey for him and Kaylee’s ma. The woman was slim and seasoned from years of hands-on work, but there was somethin’ wicked in that grin of hers as she popped back her shot without so much as a wince.

The same couldn’t be said for Jayne. His scruffy face was set hard in determination, but Mal recognized the rosy color in his cheeks. The man was far gone, and it wouldn’t take more than another drink or two to put him under the table. ”Goooorramit, woman!” he slurred. ”Ain’t you had enough yet?!”

River looked on in fascination with her skinny little arms folded on the table, glancin’ back and forth between the two of ‘em like she was watchin’ a heated tennis match.

"Where’s loverboy?" Mal asked. The doc and Kaylee’s father were nowhere to be seen. "If he’s askin’ for your hand, I swear —"

Kaylee punched him in his arm, gigglin’ as she shook her head. ”Naw, it ain’t like that. They’re just talkin’, s’far as I can tell.”

Mal sipped from his cider and gave a nod, soakin’ in the sunset with his pale blue stare. Kaylee’s father was a decent man. Round and friendly with rough palms and twinkly eyes. He wore an oil-stained apron ‘round his belly and had a laugh that shook the room. Called Kaylee ‘Winnie’, which the newer members of the crew then learned was short for Kaywinnet. When Mal thought about the doc bein’ alone with him for a man-to-man talk, he couldn’t help but find hisself a tad amused.

"Heard back from Zoë or Inara?” Kaylee asked after a short spell.

"Mm-hm," Mal confirmed. "They’ll be back in an hour or so. Town ain’t that far, and neither of ‘em are likely to linger once they’ve got what they was after." He couldn’t for the life of him remember what it was — fancy curtains for Inara’s shuttle or some such. So long as she paid her rent in full and always returned unharmed, he didn’t much care how she spent her share of their earnin’s.

He glanced to his buddy after a few more seconds of contented silence, noticin’ how fine she looked with all the engine grime scrubbed off’a her cheeks.

"If I do say so myself, _and I do_ ,” Mal began, clearin’ his throat like he often did before he said somethin’ complimentary. ”You look real nice this evenin’. Like a pretty little miss.”

Kaylee perked up, gracin’ him with a smile so bright he was half tempted to shield his eyes. ”Why, thank you! Inara spent forever workin’ on my hair. Came out lookin’ shiny, huh?”

"Quite shiny," Mal smiled, playfully loopin’ his arm around her shoulder and pullin’ her in for a small squeeze. "The doc better hurry up with the marryin’, ‘fore someone far more rugged and handsome comes along," he teased. "He tells you you’re a beauty, don’t he? Or do I gotta give him a firm talkin’ to?"

Kaylee rolled her eyes, but she was beamin’. The girl was always happy to soak up pretty words, ‘specially when they were aimed at her. ”Simon ain’t so bad,” she defended, her voice takin’ on a softer, sentimental tone. ”He ain’t a poet or nothin’, but that’s okay. Everyone’s got a way… it’s just that words ain’t his.” Her cheeks reddened a bit. ”Lucky for me, words ain’t always needed.”

Mal set down his half-empty cup and raised a hand to his chest in mock astonishment. ”Kaywinnet Lee Frye… Do you mean to tell me that you and he’ve been _fornicatin’_ aboard my fair Serenity?”

Kaylee laughed, and it warmed his heart.

“Lao Tien Fu!" he gasped.

"Oh, c’mon, Captain. A girl’s gotta loosen up ev’ry once in awhile, don’t she? Proper male company ain’t always easy to come by when you’re livin’ with the stars."

"That may be so," Mal relented, sighing heavily. "If the boy’s intentions are true, I s’pose you have my blessing." He quirked a smile and planted a light kiss right on his mechanic’s temple.

Kaylee closed her eyes and rested her head against his shoulder, subtly mirroring his smile. This was nice, she thought. Bringin’ her crew home to meet her folks; hearin’ River laugh from inside the house as Jayne’s weary head finally hit the table; sittin’ with Mal on the same porch she used to take naps on when she was a small girl — it was all real nice.

As the sun ducked behind a row of mountains and bathed the town in blue shadows, she considered herself awful fortunate in every sense of the word.

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing; all rights go to the respective owners and creators. Joss is boss.


End file.
